Weapons Makers Look Overseas as Pentagon Scales Back

FoxNews ^ | Saturday, June 13, 2009

[Joiseydude]

With the United States looking to cut defense costs and rethinking the way it fights wars, many defense companies are looking for international buyers to take the big, pricey weapons that the Pentagon no longer wants or needs fewer of. U.S. contractors are chasing some lucrative deals, but could also face some legal and political hurdles as they hawk weapons overseas.

[Joiseydude]

Will arms manufacturers get bail outs too or will our Dear Leader leave us defenseless?

[LouAvul]

The way it goes. The democRATs always weaken our military. Then a Republican has to put things back in order.

[allmost]

Bump.

[umgud]

Dems are good at eviscerating the military.

[Salgak]

All Boeing has to do is remind the Dems that they’re a UNION shop. . .

[cripplecreek]

Good idea. [/sarc]

The Pentagon is increasingly buying planes, weapons and military vehicles from private contractors that outsource the manufacturing to plants in China and elsewhere in Asia, the report said. But when questioned by the commission, defense officials admitted that they do not have the ability to track where the components of military equipment are made.

"As weaponry gets more and more sophisticated . . . I think well find ourselves more vulnerable for parts that are being manufactured by an adversary. It's really something the Pentagon needs to look at seriously," said commission member William A. Reinsch, president of the National Foreign Trade Council, which promotes free trade on behalf of businesses. Members said that the commission had never before delved so deeply into national security issues.

The report said China's military advances "have surprised U.S. defense and intelligence officials, and raised questions about the quality of our assessments of China's military capabilities."

Chinese Spying a Threat, Panel Says Report Also Cites Outsourcing by Weapons Makers

[ClearCase_guy]

Unemployment is at 9.4%.
Obama has promised to "create or preserve" a gazillion jobs.
Here we have good paying, highly technical jobs which help increase our national security.

Oh. Sure. Axe those puppies. Who they heck wants engineers to have jobs??

[cranked]

Wholeheartedly agreed, especially how Clinton gutted the military, as well as our intelligence services. Clinton will deny such, as well as those who still worship at his feet, but Clinton was an enabler of 911, among others.

[Myrddin]

I know lots of engineers (myself included) who are twiddling thumbs after Obama did the 10% slash of DoD funding just days after his inauguration. Many of those jobs are safe from outsourcing, but they aren't safe from budget cuts. There are few alternative jobs that pay as well or have need of the specialized skill sets. There is going to be a large number of overqualified, unemployed people chasing a small number of available jobs. McDonald's doesn't really need a vibration signature analysis performed on the milkshake mixer. The DSP wizards can look for a job grooming pets...as long as they don't mix up FIR with fur.

[ClearCase_guy]

There is going to be a large number of overqualified, unemployed people chasing a small number of available jobs.

My observation is that a disproportionate number of engineers working DoD contracts are middle-aged white guys. So, from Obama's standpoint, there are multiple advantages to getting rid of these jobs -- some of those crackers will never get a decent job again! Ha!

[Oldeconomybuyer]

bump

[Thunder90]

Not only has China made massive advances in weapons tech, the Russians are close to reaching parity with us in their weapons tech, something they have never done, even during Soviet times.